Well apparatus



W..L- DUNN.

WELL APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED NOV.17, 1919.

Patented Apr. 26, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

W. L DUNN.

WELL APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED NOV. I7. I919.

1,376,009 Patented A r. 26, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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16g 15. fl i w units-o stares WILLIAM LINCOLN DUNN, 0F OXNARD,CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO DUNN MANUFAC caries.

TUBING COMPANY, OF OXNARD, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

WELL APPARATUS.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. '26, 1921.-

Application filed. November 17, 1919. Serial No. 338,721.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM L. DUNN,'a citizen of the United States,residin at OX- nard, in the county of Ventura and @tate of California,have invented new and useful Improvements in Well Apparatus, of whichthe following is a specification.

This inventionrelates to oilwell apparatus, and more particularly toapparatus for screwing and unscrewing or jointing or unjointing toolsused in oil well drilling in the so-called standard or reciprocatingdrilling method. In this method the toolsare suspended by a cable from awalking beam and are given vertical reciprocation in the well, thuscutting, chipping or pounding away the formation and developing the wellhole. The tools are connected together in what is called a string, oftenincluding a plural ity of such tools,,such as bits, sinker bars, stemsand ars. In order to screw these together or unscrew them and disconnectthem, heavy and powerful wrenches are employed, and it requiresconsiderable power to operate such wrenches. Ordinarily one such wrenchis applied to the string of tools beneath a tapered joint, and the otherwrench is applied to the tools above such tapered joint or coupling,which tapered joints or couplings it is to be understood are connectedwith the tools and have screw threads. One wrench is ordinarily heldstationary, and the other wrench is operated to produce the rotationrequisite to couple or uncouple the tools at such threaded taper joint.In connection with such use of the wrenches what is called a floorcircle is otrdinarily employed, this consisting ofa toothed quadrant orsegmental rack mounted upon the floor of the derrick at the mouth of thewell. Mounted upon this rack is a toothed ratchet device to which isapplied a lever by which the ratchet device is operated to cause it totraverse such segment or rack which is arranged with the string of toolsat the center of the segment or quadrant. At one end of this rack isprovided a stop against which bears one wrench, and the other,preferably the upper wrench bears against the ratchet device. Thus asthe ratchet device is operated along the floor circle or toothed segmentit carries with it the outer end of. the upper wrench and either screwsor unscrews the tools at the tapered joint. The pressure. of the twowrenches upon the ratchet device and the stop mentioned tends to causethe floor circle to wedge or slide inwardly upon the flooring of thederrick and thus reduce the leverage upon the wrenches so as to renderthe operation of the device difficult or impossible. It will beunderstood that the long leverage of the long. wrench arms is reliedupon to give easy and effective action in the lever-produced travel ofthe ratchet device. So the floor circle must remain at a position sothat the ends of the wrench arms, or substantially the ends, bearagainst the stop and the ratchet device. To prevent this inward creepingof the floor circle and ratchet dev1ce,-it has been the practice to useblocks or sticks of wood or other make-shift as props or spacersbetweenthe string of tools circle so as to more effectively brace theparts to which it is applied. This brace is adjustable, that is, itcomprises a plurality of parts which are relatively adjustable so thatdifferent distances between the floor circle and the string of tools maybe accommodated; and means. is provided for holding the relativelyadjustedparts in positions of such relative adjustment. The inventionconcerns the several; parts and features mentioned and their combinationand association, and particularly the brace structure, all ashereinafter described, shown in the drawings, and finally pointed out inclaims.

The invention consists in the novel and useful provision,formation,combination, association, application and relative arrangementof parts, members and features, all as hereinafter so described, shownand claimed, as above mentioned.

The invention has for its objects to provide improvements of the naturestated which willbe superior in point of relative simplicity andinexpensiveness of construction, taken in con unctlon with reliabilltyand positiveness in operation,. durability,

convenience and effectiveness in use, and general superiority andefficiency and serviceability.

In the drawings:

Figure lgis a perspective fragmentary view of the flooring of an oilwell derrick orrig showing drilling tools suspended at the mouth of thewell, and illustrating a floor circle and floor circle brace andwrenches and wrench operating means all in combination for use andconstructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentarylongitudinal sectional view taken upon the line w-m Fig. 8, parts being in elevation;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of a floor circle brace such asshown in Fig. 1; and,

Fig. 4 is a detail transverse sectional view taken upon the line m -a2Fig. 2, and looking in the direction of the appended arrows.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are designated by the samereference characters.

Referring with particularity to the drawings, A and B designate drillingtools connected by atapered threaded joint, the joint line being shownat a. in Fig. l. C desig- I nates a wrench applied to the tool A, and

D designates a wrench applied'to the tool B. E designates a toothedquadrant or sector termed in practice a floor circle, at one end ofwhich is shown a ratchet device F having a long power handle G by whichthe ratchet device may be caused to travel along the floor circle E. Hdesignates a stop at the other end of the fioor circle. The long handle0 of the wrench C bears against the Y ratchet device F, and the longhandle 0? ter of which is received adjustably within the former, themember m having preferably a pivoted yoke 5 to bear against one of thetools, andthe member at having a foot 6 to bear against the floorcircle, as in a groove xtending lengthwise of .the same,

one at each side, of which one groove 7 appears in Fig. 1.

9 designates means for holding the members m and Win positions ofrelative adjustment, and the members we and n are prevented fromdisconnection and likewise prevented from relative rotation by a stoppin 8 mounted in the member M and projecting inwardly and receivedwithin an elongated groove 9 in the member 72.

The member m consists of a length of tubing 10 swaged in to round it atone end, as at 11, with which end is pivotally connected as by a clevis11*, th yoke 5 adapted to engage and fit one of the tools. Threaded uponsuch tubing 10 at the open end, at threads 12, is a collar 18 projectingsomewhat beyond the end of the member m and provided with upstandingears or lugs 14 through which is passed a pin 15'upon which is pivotallymounted a locking'finger 16 comprising the means 79, one end of which,16, ranges freely above the tubular member m, a coil spring 16 beingdisposed between such end 16" and the member m and tending to force theother end 16 0f the finger, with its plurality of teeth 16 intoengagement with certain of a plurality or series of teeth 17 a formed orprovided longitudinally of the member 12 which consists of an elongatedrod 17. The rod 17 is provided with the foot 6 at its outer end, and itsinner end is chambered within the tubular member m, the elongated groove9 being formed in one side of such rod 17. The toothed end 16 of thelocking finger 16 is downwardly directed in angular relation to theremaining portions of the locking finger, and is adapted to operatethrough a slot or opening 18 in the top of the collar 13.

The teeth 16 and 1'7 are so formed'and cooperate as to oppose movementof the member 91 inwardly of the member m, but to permit the drawing outof the member a or its extension from the member m, the

locking finger 16 insuch latter case playing pivotally against thecompression of the spring 16.

The stop bolt 8 is screwed into the side wall of the collar 13. v

In use, it will be understood that the prop or brace K is placed inposition with the foot 6 in the channel or groove '7 on the inner faceof the toothed sector E, the teeth 7 'of which sector or floor circleare traversed in the usual manner by the walking ratchet device F. Theyoke 5 is brought to bear againstthe upper tool A, the member n beingdrawn out of the member on until it properly braces the tools withrespect to thefloor circle, the locking means or locking finger pautomatically acting to interlock the two members m and n in theirproper condition of extension, by telescopic adjustment, when the toolsare properly braced or propped. The wrenches C and D being properlyapplied to the tools and to the ratchet device F and the stop device Katopposite ends of the held stationary by the wrench D, and thus thetools are threaded together. The reversal of the operation, or reversingthe wrenches, will of course cause the unscrewing or disconnecting ordisjointing of the tools. It is to be understood that when the ratchetdevice has executed one journey along the floor circle it is broughtback, the working wrench is re-applied to the proper tool, and theoperation is repeated and continued until the complete jointing orunjointing action has occurred.

The floor circle brace or prop K is compact in form and simple to adjustand manipulate, and is durable and reliable in action and readily adaptsitself to the conditions met with in service. When it is desired todisconnect the brace from its position of service the inner end 16 ofthe locking finger 16 is depressed, withdrawing the teeth 16 from theteeth 17, whereupon the member a is permitted to further chamber withinthe member m, shortening up the length of the entire brace, whereby itmay be removed from position. It may be lengthened out or shortened upreadily as conditions require, the locking finger 16 being manipulatedto permit the shortening up action, and automatically accommodating thelengthening out action, the co-acting locking teeth 16* and 17maintaining the members in their relative positions of relativeadjustment. The stop bolt 8 in its cooperation with the walls andextremities of the groove 9 keeps the members m and n in properrelation, preventing axial dis-' placement or movement, and likewiseprevent an overplay or over-extension of the member n in its telescopingmovements in the member m.

I have indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 the provision of anotherbrace member K between the floor circle E and the tools. This is to makeit clear that there may be a plurality of such braces employed, and itis often preferable to dispose one of the same adjacent to the stop Hand another of the same adjacent to the other end of the floor circle,so as to provide the bracing action adjacent to the ends of the floorcircle and where the tendency of' the floor circle to wedge inwardlyalong the wrench handles is pronounced or effective.

It will be obvious that many variations and modifications of thestructure may be resorted to in adapting the device to varyingconditions of use and service, all without departing from the truespirit of the invention.

Having thus disclosed my invention, I

claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In well apparatus, a floor circle brace comprising two telescopingmembers, and locking means for maintaining the same in position ofrelative adjustment, said lock ing means comprising a part threaded adjacent to the end of one of said members and carrying a locking fingerhaving a downwardly directed end portion provided with a plurality oftransverse teeth, the other telescoping member being transverselytoothed and adapted to co-act with said first named teeth to form astrong gripping action; the said teeth being so formed as to resistcompressive effort between the telescoping parts; one of saidtelescoping members being provided with an elongated grooved portion,and the other telescoping member being provided with a projecting pinfor engagement with said grooved portion, thereby limiting telescopicaction of said members in one direction and likewise preventing relativeaxial play of said memers.

2. In well apparatus, a floor circle brace, comprising two telescopingmembers one of which is provided with a foot adapted to engage the floorcircle and the other of which is provided with a yoke adapted to engageone of the tools; said telescoping members likewise being provided withlook ing means for maintaining the same in po sition of relativeadjustment, said locking means comprising a part threaded adjacent tothe end of one of said members and carrying a locking finger having adownwardly directed end portion provided with a plurality of transverseteeth, the other member being transversely toothed and adapted to coactwith said first named teeth to form a strong gripping action; said teethbeing so formed as to resist compressive effort between the telescopingparts; one of said telescoping members being provided with an elongatedgrooved portion, and the other telescoping member being provided with aprojecting pin for engagement with said grooved portion, therebylimiting telescopic action of said members in one direction and likewisepreventing relative axial play of said members.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM LINCOLN DUNN.

Witnesses:

W. MARK DURLEY, HENRY G. DOWNES.

